The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of sweet orange named ‘Florida EV1’. ‘Florida EV1’ originated as a ‘Valencia’ somaclone tree regenerated from an adventitious bud developed on a nucellar seedling stem piece induced using tissue culture techniques from standard ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) in 1989. Somaclonal variation is defined as variability in plants regenerated from tissue culture that is either induced or uncovered by a tissue culture process. Most somaclonal variation is negative, but if enough plants are examined, positive changes can usually be recovered. Somaclonal variation has been a primary source of genetic variation in sweet orange exploited in citrus improvement programs.
The first asexual reproduction of ‘Florida EV1’ involved grafting of the original tree to ‘Carrizo’ citrange rootstock and planting in Martin County, Fla. in 1989. Thus, ‘Florida EV1’ is a true ‘Valencia’ sweet orange with an altered maturity date that allows for harvest 8-12 weeks earlier than traditional ‘Valencia’ trees.